Removable Wheel Assembly for Space-Saving Collapsible Coolers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable coolers are heavy and bulky, making them difficult to transport and requiring significant storage space when not in use, which limits their usability and retail display options.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible cooler design featuring a removable wheel assembly with a secure fastening system, allowing the wheels to be stored in the lid when not in use, and collapsible walls made of flexible membranes that can transition between expanded and collapsed configurations for efficient storage and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wheels are permanently attached to the cooler base, then the cooler is easier to transport, but the device complexity increases and storage space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel assembly is divided into a separate removable component from the cooler base. The base includes a recessed portion that receives the wheel assembly, allowing it to be detached and stored independently. This segmentation reduces overall device complexity while maintaining transportability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel assembly is designed to nest within a recessed portion of the cooler base when not in use. The lid includes storage recesses that receive and retain the wheel assembly components (wheels and axle), effectively hiding the complex elements within the cooler's existing structure.
2Volume of stationary object
If the cooler is made collapsible with flexible membranes, then storage space is reduced, but the strength and structural integrity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler employs flexible membrane walls that can collapse and expand. These thin film structures provide the necessary strength when expanded for use while allowing the cooler to collapse to a compact form for storage, effectively balancing structural integrity with space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooler transitions between static expanded configurations (providing structural integrity for use) and dynamic collapsed configurations (reducing storage space). The flexible membranes enable this dynamic transformation while maintaining sufficient strength in the expanded state.
3Volume of stationary object
If the wheel assembly is made removable and stored in the lid, then storage space efficiency improves, but the ease of operation for attaching/detaching may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The base includes a pre-formed recessed portion specifically designed to receive the wheel assembly. The lid includes pre-configured storage recesses positioned to easily accommodate the wheels and axle when detached, making the attachment and storage process straightforward despite the removable nature.
Data Source
AI summary
A cooler includes a main body which includes a base, an upper rim, and one or more cooler walls extending therebetween. The cooler in some embodiments further includes a removable wheel assembly which includes two coaxial wheels, and an axle. The two coaxial wheels are removably securable to the axle. The cooler still further comprises a wheel fastening system configured to secure the removable wheel assembly to the base of the main body which includes a mount, a clip hingedly connected to the mount, and a locking clasp configured to lock the clip into a closed position to secure the wheel assembly. The cooler yet further comprises a lid including two wheel storage recesses, each being sized and dimensioned to receive and retain one of the coaxial wheel of the wheel assembly, and an axle storage recess sized and dimensioned to receive and retain the axle of the wheel assembly.